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Subiect: I think he’s done an outstanding job

BASEBALLANAHEIM www.avalancheshoponline.com , Calif. (AP) Shohei Ohtani’s third start for the Los Angeles Angels lasted only two innings after he developed a blister on his pitching hand.The Angels pulled the Japanese two-way sensation early after he yielded three runs and four hits while struggling with his control against the AL-leading Boston Red Sox.One inning after Ohtani left, the Angels announced the right-hander had developed a blister during the second inning.Ohtani has had intermittent issues with blisters throughout his first few months with the Angels, and he had a bandage on one of his fingers last week.Ohtani gave up a leadoff homer to Boston’s Mookie Betts, and he couldn’t throw his formidable breaking pitches for consistent strikes in the first night start of his big-league career. The Red Sox added two more runs in the second on Brock Holt’s RBI single and Andrew Benintendi’s sacrifice fly.HOCKEYLOS ANGELES (AP) – Brayden McNabb scored against his former team in the second period, lifting Vegas to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings that made the Golden Knights the first expansion team in NHL history to sweep its first playoff series.Marc-Andre Fleury turned in another stellar performance, stopping 31 shots as the Knights finished off their fourth one-goal victory of the series. It was his second shutout of the series.The Knights poured into the net to hug Fleury at the final horn. Vegas fans in the crowd chanted the goalie’s name in celebration.The Knights became the second team to win their first four playoff games, joining the 1970 Pittsburgh Penguins.COLLEGE BASKETBALLGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford says he expects ”substantive” recommendations from the committee seeking ways to reform college basketball amid a federal investigation of corruption in the sport.Speaking Tuesday at a regional Associated Press Sports Editors meeting, Swofford said he doesn’t know what the commission led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will conclude next week when it is expected to present its report to the Division I Board of Directors and Board of Governors.Swofford said it is ”hard to argue against the need for substantive change.”Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey, speaking at a similar meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday, hopes for an ”impactful outcome” when Rice’s committee releases its recommendations.SOCCERMOSCOW (AP) – FIFA charged World Cup host Russia with fan racism less than two months before the tournament begins.Monkey chants were aimed at black French players, including Paul Pogba, during France’s 3-1 friendly win over Russia in St. Petersburg last month.”Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Russian Football Union for this incident,” FIFA said.Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich Colorado Avalanche T-Shirts Womens , who is overseeing World Cup preparations, told state news agencies on Tuesday that Russia was cracking down on racist fans.”We’ll do anything so there are no discrimination cases,” he said. ”But if that happens … there should be zero tolerance for these people.”The RFU said it is cooperating with the FIFA investigation.PRO BASKETBALLDETROIT (AP) – A Michigan company has filed a federal lawsuit against LeBron James, claiming his digital media platform stole an idea.Adventure Enterprise is suing ”Uninterrupted,” which was co-founded by James with business partner Maverick Carter, and Cree Nix for use of a ”Shop Talk,” concept.The Detroit-based company claims it shared the idea with Nix from 2014 to 2016, identifying her as an employee of ”Uninterrupted.”Last year, ”Uninterrupted” aired ”The Shop,” where James and others talk in a barber shop.Alabama recently released a trailer for ”Shop Talk” that shows coach Nick Saban and former Crimson Tide star wide receiver Julio Jones talking in a barber shop. Earlier this month, ”Uninterrupted” sent a letter to Alabama , citing concerns over copyright infringement and intellectual property.WRESTLINGThe Associated Press Sports Editors organization has recommended that its members refrain from covering USA Wrestling events after the federation said it will now require journalists to undergo a background check in order to cover its events.APSE President Jeff Rosen, sports editor of The Kansas City Star, said in an email Tuesday that the new policy ”while probably well-intentioned, is problematic on multiple levels.””APSE applauds the effort to protect the safety of USA Wrestling athletes, but making journalists qualify for a membership and take a course in how to identify abuse and bullying is misguided Colorado Avalanche Hoodies Womens ,” Rosen wrote. ”The lack of specificity on background checks, including the extent and areas of the checks, and the disposal of information and indemnification of the media is both alarming and dangerous.”The federation said the new requirements – which will also include a mandatory hour-long U.S. Center for Safe Sports online video- are designed to increase safety in the sport. ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) One of the lasting images from the Capitals‘ playoff run came the morning of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference final.Usually Alex Ovechkin hustles around the rink in a hot lap prior to the morning skate. Only this time it was 55-year-old coach Barry Trotz, who answered the call from his players to do the lap.”I was worried about the turns,” Trotz said. ”The rudders haven’t been sharpened all year. … I almost bit it at the end there trying to imitate Ovi.”The Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 that night to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final, but they might’ve won Game 7 at that moment. Rarely in previous postseasons had Trotz been that relaxed, the result of an unusual situation.Trotz went into the season without – and still doesn’t have – a contract for next season, a circumstance that almost never happens to an experienced coach of a team with legitimate postseason hopes. But in a strange way, being a lame-duck coach might’ve helped Trotz not feel the pressure of past early exits and played a positive role in getting this far.”I think it could be the same effect on a player, too, that’s becoming a free agent,” general manager Brian MacLellan said Friday. ”He’s basically becoming a free agent as a coach, and what effect does that have? Do you have your best year when you’re a free agent?”Trotz has. Even with the fifth-most victories of any coach in NHL history, until this spring he hadn’t made it past the second round in 18 previous seasons with the Nashville Predators and Capitals. He called it ”luck of the draw,” running into championship-bound teams from Detroit Colorado Avalanche Hats Womens , Chicago and Pittsburgh.This improbable Capitals run that continues with Game 1 of the Cup Final on Monday in Las Vegas is not luck. It’s parts Ovechkin and goaltender Braden Holtby, and also the right moves by Trotz. He called on Philipp Grubauer to start the first round in goal before switching to Holtby in Game 2 against Columbus and watching him get on a roll. He put Jakub Vrana on the top line not long before the rookie scored the winner in Game 5 against the Penguins and pushed all the right buttons on rest and preparation.Teams tend to read cues from a head coach, and those have been positive.”I think his demeanor has changed a little bit,” MacLellan said. ”He seems a little lighter, a little looser, a little less pressure, maybe a little more freedom in terms of how he goes about things.”Despite back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies, MacLellan and Capitals management didn’t offer Trotz an extension.Before the playoffs, Trotz said he hadn’t lost any sleep over his status and referred questions to MacLellan and owner Ted Leonsis. In March, Leonsis said he doesn’t talk about contracts, and MacLellan has repeatedly stated that any talks would wait until after the playoffs. There are currently no vacancies in the NHL.Toronto’s Mike Babcock is the highest-paid coach at $6.25 million, Chicago’s Joel Quenneville is next at $6 million and Montreal’s Claude Julien comes in at $5 million. Those three have combined to win the Cup five times.Trotz’s price tag has gone up however the Final goes against the Golden Knights.”He’s probably going to benefit from this, too,” MacLellan said. ”I think he’s done a good job managing it. To come in this year with so many questions – not from my point of view the lineup questions were that a big deal – but just the emotional state of our team coming in to start the year and how to handle that, I think he’s done an outstanding job.”Trotz survived a 10-9-1 start that culminated with 6-3 and 6-2 losses at Nashville and Colorado, and the Capitals winning 12 of their next 14 games might have saved his job. Players’ response to Trotz reading them the riot act showed he certainly hadn’t lost the room.But a journey of self-discovery last summer went beyond not having a contract.”It gave me just some clarity on what defines me Custom Colorado Avalanche Jerseys , what defines us, what defines you,” Trotz said. ”If you don’t win any awards or anything, I’m not going to look at you any different. If you’re a good person and you treat people right and you live your life right, then I’m going to think really highly of you. If you don’t, I’m not going to think so much of you. And I started getting that clarity that everybody looks for the wrong in people rather than the right and it gave me a lot of clarity. And some things happened in my life that allowed me to see that and it’s been good.”Happy, relaxed Trotz has made more appearances in these playoffs than buttoned-down, terse Trotz. He hasn’t soured amid the road bumps this postseason.The Capitals have followed Trotz’s even-keeled approach and even been upbeat following losses. Like his players, he’s enjoying the ride.”Playoffs are fun,” Trotz said. ”They are a grind. But they’re fun. And they should be treated as fun. They’re sort of all the hard that you have to put in just to get there and it takes even more hard work to go farther, but it is fun. I’m finding I’m having a blast during the games.”—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals—